A fast moving upper level disturbance traversed east across the northern third of New Mexico on the 7th. High winds affected areas from the Sacramento Mountains eastward to the east central plains.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.
A fast moving upper level disturbance traversed east across the northern third of New Mexico on the 7th. High winds affected areas from the Sacramento Mountains eastward to the east central plains.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Albuquerque, NM wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 7, 3:28 AM MST, 8 hours 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 328 AM MST SAT MAR 7 2009 .DISCUSSION... MORE ACTIVE WEATHER EXPECTED TODAY ACROSS MUCH OF NEW MEXICO. MORNING WATER VAPOR IMAGERY CONTINUES TO SHOW A RATHER VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL LOW CROSSING THE ROCKIES. SOLID JET CONTINUES TO ROUND THE BASE OF THE TROUGH WITH INCREASING PVA AND LIFT ADVANCING ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS. PRECIPITATION ECHOES CONTINUE TO EXPAND OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND THIS TREND IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. MINOR SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE STILL EXPECTED AT ELEVATIONS NEAR AND ABOVE 7500 FEET. NO HIGHLIGHTS NEEDED ATTM. ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS CAN BE EXPECTED WHICH WONT AMOUNT TO MUCH MORE THAN A TRACE TO A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH. THE SHOWER ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO END LATER THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING AS THE UPPER LOW PULLS AWAY TO THE NORTH AND EAST AND SUBSIDENCE KICKS IN. SOUTH OF THE PVA REGION...STRONG 700MB WINDS WILL ONCE AGAIN PASS OVER THE REGION WITH MIXING OF HIGHER MOMENTUM AIR FROM THE MID LEVELS TO THE SURFACE DEVELOPING AFTER 18Z. THIS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO ANOTHER PERIOD OF STRONG WINDS MOST SECTIONS EXCEPT THE NORTH AND NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS. WILL ISSUE A WIND ADVISORY. DRY AIR EXPECTED TO FILTER IN WITH STRONG WIND SHIFT TO THE WEST. WILL ALSO EXPAND RED FLAG WARNING FURTHER WEST AS WELL/FIRE WEATHER SECTION BELOW/. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST A GOOD POSSIBILITY... ESPECIALLY WITH THE WESTERLY WIND SHIFT THIS AFTERNOON. OCCASIONAL VSBY REDUCTIONS OF 3 MILES OR LESS POSSIBLE. SUNDAY DOES NOT APPEAR AS WINDY BUT ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH FROM THE ROCKIES ON MONDAY. THIS WILL INDUCE ANOTHER LEE SIDE SURFACE TROUGH AND TIGHTENING SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT...ESPECIALLY OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS. MONDAY LOOKS TO BE WINDY WITH AN ADDITIONAL THREAT FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. ALSO KEPT POP CHANCES OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND INCREASED THEM SLIGHTLY. BEHIND THIS TROUGH...MODELS HAVING DIFFICULTIES RESOLVING A MORE SUBSTANTIAL MOISTURE RETURN FOR LATE IN THE WEEK WITH THE ECMWF MORE AMPLIFIED AND THE GFS MORE FLAT WITH THE UPPER FLOW. WILL KEEP PREVIOUS FORECAST OF LOW POPS IN PLACE BUT NOT INCREASE GIVEN MODEL UNCERTAINTIES. KW KW && .AVIATION... LOCAL MTN OBSCURATIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE NORTHERN MTNS THRU 00Z. A DRY SLOT OVER AZ THIS MORNING WILL MOVE W TO E THRU 21Z... WITH A DISTINCT WIND SHIFT FROM SW TO W ALONG THE BOUNDARY. WHILE MOST AIRPORTS WILL SEE VFR...BLOWING DUST AFTER 18Z MAY CREATE LOCAL MVFR ALONG AND SE OF A LINE FROM KRTN...KABQ...TO KSVC. ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS OF 27 KNOTS AT LOCATIONS SUCH AS KABQ AND KGUP WILL BE DEPENDENT ON HOW MUCH MIXING OCCURS BY MID AFTERNOON...HOWEVER GUSTS WILL LIKELY EXCEED 35 KNOT CRITERIA AT KABQ BETWEEN 20Z AND 00Z FOR AN AIRPORT WX WARNING. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 22Z. GUYER && .FIRE WEATHER... MUCH OF THE SAME TODAY IN THE FIRE WX DEPT. A MEAGER MOISTURE INCREASE ACROSS THE EASTERN TWO THIRDS OF THE AREA WILL BE QUICKLY REPLACED BY ANOTHER DRY PUNCH AS A DRY SLOT ADVANCES FROM WEST TO EAST TODAY. SOME RAIN/HIGH TERRAIN SNOW IS STILL POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTHERN MTNS BUT AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHT. EXPANDED THE RED FLAG WARNING INTO ZONE 109 FOR MAINLY ITS EASTERN HALF AS MIXING WITHIN THE DRY SLOT SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR CRITERIA FROM MID TO LATE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL DIMINISH INTO SUNDAY HOWEVER CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN DRY OVER THE AREA. A FEW HOURS OF CRITICAL FIRE WX ARE POSSIBLE FROM NEAR LAS VEGAS SOUTH TO CLINES CORNERS IN USUALLY WINDY AREAS. WILL HOLD OFF ON HIGHLIGHTS SINCE COVERAGE IS MINIMAL COMPARED TO PAST SEVERAL DAYS. RH RECOVERIES WILL BE POOR TO FAIR SUN NIGHT LEADING INTO MORE WIDESPREAD FIRE CONCERNS FOR MONDAY. AN UPPER WAVE WILL SLIDE INTO THE GREAT BASIN MONDAY AFTERNOON INCREASING SW FLOW OVER THE AREA...WITH HIGHLIGHTS LIKELY FOR AT LEAST THE EASTERN PLAINS. LIGHTER WINDS THEN RETURN TO THE REGION TUESDAY INTO THE END OF THE WEEK AS WEAK RIDGING AND SLIGHT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE INCREASES DEVELOP OVER THE SW. GUYER && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 52 24 57 30 / 30 5 0 0 GALLUP.......................... 46 20 54 24 / 5 0 0 0 GRANTS.......................... 51 18 57 24 / 5 0 0 0 GLENWOOD........................ 62 28 63 31 / 0 0 0 0 CHAMA........................... 40 12 45 17 / 60 20 0 0 LOS ALAMOS...................... 50 21 54 25 / 20 5 0 0 RED RIVER....................... 36 12 42 17 / 40 20 0 0 TAOS............................ 47 19 51 22 / 30 10 0 0 SANTA FE........................ 51 24 55 32 / 20 0 0 0 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 53 25 56 30 / 20 0 0 0 ESPANOLA........................ 56 21 60 25 / 20 5 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 58 33 61 37 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 61 30 63 30 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 58 30 60 32 / 5 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 61 31 63 34 / 5 0 0 0 SOCORRO......................... 68 33 68 32 / 0 0 0 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 52 25 56 29 / 10 0 0 0 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 56 28 58 27 / 0 0 0 0 CARRIZOZO....................... 64 32 65 34 / 10 0 0 0 RUIDOSO......................... 56 31 58 32 / 10 5 0 0 RATON........................... 56 19 60 23 / 10 5 0 0 LAS VEGAS....................... 52 23 57 30 / 10 5 0 0 ROY............................. 58 27 60 32 / 10 5 0 0 CLAYTON......................... 66 27 64 30 / 10 5 0 0 SANTA ROSA...................... 67 31 69 36 / 0 0 0 0 TUCUMCARI....................... 71 33 70 36 / 0 5 0 0 FORT SUMNER..................... 72 35 72 36 / 0 0 0 0 CLOVIS.......................... 73 33 71 35 / 0 5 0 0 PORTALES........................ 73 34 73 38 / 0 5 0 0 ROSWELL......................... 77 37 75 41 / 0 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ104-106>109. WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ005>016-018>021. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ017-026. && 17/GUYER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 539 AM MST SAT MAR 7 2009 NMZ001>021-026-081245- NORTHWEST PLATEAU-NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS INCLUDING JEMEZ- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-HARDING COUNTY-FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS- WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA- SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS/ESTANCIA VALLEY- CONCHAS LAKE/GUADALUPE COUNTY-QUAY COUNTY- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS/UPPER GILA REGION-LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- LINCOLN COUNTY HIGH PLAINS/HONDO VALLEY- CAPITAN/NORTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS-DE BACA COUNTY- CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF CHAVES COUNTY- 539 AM MST SAT MAR 7 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL PROGRESS EAST ACROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO TODAY. STRONG WINDS AND CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVER MUCH OF NEW MEXICO TODAY. THE STRONG WINDS MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY AREAS OF BLOWING DUST WHICH MAY REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO BELOW 3 MILES AT TIMES. A QUICK BURST OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS THIS MORNING. THE SNOW WILL COME TO AN END BY EARLY AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY STRONG WINDS AND CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE ON MONDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM APPROACHES NEW MEXICO FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE THREAT FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW FROM TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY..HOWEVER..WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AT 911 AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1.888.386.7637 TO REPORT WILDFIRE OUTBREAKS. 17
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
There were numerous reports of high winds at the Sierra Blanca Airport AWOS site. Sustained winds between 40 and 49 mph were recorded between|1055 am and 225 pm MST, while several gusts between 58 and 64 mph were recorded between 1035 am and 335 pm MST.
The Dora Mesonet site recorded numerous five minute observations of high sustained winds. Sustained wind speeds of 40 to 43 mph were recorded between 1000 am and 140 pm MST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, March 2009
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 149580, 149583.